Robert is the CEO of the James 1:27 Trust. He has been a career diplomat with 18 years experience in international relations, serving as a South African diplomat to Mauritius and France before founding the Trust in 2004. While he was posted to France, Robert was asked to give a talk on the orphan crisis at a fundraiser in Oxford, which he based on the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish brought by the small boy in John 6:1-14. During his talk and reflecting on it afterwards he was struck by the enormity of the problem, and this led to the founding of the Trust on 11 October 2004.

Through it's mandate, the Trust carries the dual ethics of care and integrity. Reflecting on the story of the loaves and fish Robert used in his talk, the Trust decided to place a strategic focus on multiplying the efforts of others. This led to the concept of using virtual adoption to support the care of vulnerable families, and the creation of a strong technology foundation to enable effective and scalable care management through local care partners.

Since its beginnings, the Trust has gained the confidence of other care-based organizations, several government agencies, and numerous corporations and individual donors both in South Africa and abroad. The Trust has brought innovative solutions to the field of Orphan and Vulnerable Children care, being the first in the world to use life cycle management and the first in Africa to use SAP Business 1.

ABOUT US

CouldYou? is a New York-based 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting African solutions to African problems focused on ending poverty in Africa.